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On May 16th, 2000 Dave Guezuraga and I launched a new type of model rocket that we had never used before. Dave was the engineer behind this particular rocket and it would seem in hindsight that he crafted the machine rather well. The launch site was set at Zilker park and though the sunset made for some scenic views, it was only the result of us getting there late. As a note, it's usually not a good idea to launch model rockets at night if you expect to find them again.
We had a rather large crew / audience for this particular launch which consisted of Eric Zavesky, Klaus Wagner, Annie Van Zandt, and Dayna McKay. The schedule called for at least one test launch of the Nike Cluster, but time permitting, two would ultimately ensue.
To give a peek into the power of this rocket, this particular rocket flew on D engines, specifically D12-3 engines, but it happened to fly on 3 of them at once! It was roughly equivalent to 24 class A engines.
The Nike Cluster - Launch Number I
A bottom view showing off its 3 class D engine mounts Launch Number: I Launch Date: May 16th, 2000 Launch Time: 20:18 Launch Location: Zilker Park Approx Landing Distance: 200 meters
How did we capture this footage?
If you happen to notice the glass looking thing sitting in the middle of the above bottom right picture, it is actually a 10-gallon aquarium. The purpose of having it was so that we could capture the footage that we did. Generally speaking, we would put it directly next to the launch pad with a video camera inside of it. For this particular shoot, the video camera was a Sony Digital 8mm. The aquarium simply helped to protect the camera from being destroyed.
The Nike Cluster - Launch Number II
The ignitor hits all three D12-3 engines at once Launch Number: II Launch Date: May 16th, 2000 Launch Time: 20:48 Launch Location: Zilker Park Approx Landing Distance: 200 meters Notes: Rocket barely recovered. Sustained damage from landing in a tree, lost parachute and nosecone
In the interest of science and exploration, why stop at one launch when you can do two? Truthfully, it was probably not a good idea for us to have gone ahead and launched the Nike Cluster a second time. The sun was almost down and it was apparent that recovering it may be somewhat of a problem. The video camera we used to capture the images happened to have nightvision on it and I suppose we figured we had some sort of an advantage over the night sky. We weren't entirely wrong.
It took about 30 minutes to recover the Nike Cluster from the first launch and have it prepped for launch II. It just so happens there would not be a launch number III.
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I wrote a new song over the Christmas break with my new 12-string guitar and made a little CD package for Dayna.
Track Listing
The front and inside jacket of the CD
The back of the CD jacket
In These Clouds Written and Recorded December 1999 Music by Kevin Ludlow 12 String Guitars: Kevin Ludlow Acoustic Guitars: Kevin Ludlow Bass: Kevin Ludlow
Upset Original Written March 1998 Rewritten and Recorded October 1999 Music by Kevin Ludlow Guitars: Kevin Ludlow
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This was a digital finger painting I had the pleasure of doing one night in my Speedway apartment.
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One of the sagas of living with my good buddy, Klaus, over on Speedway was about a girl named Rebecca Marie Hays. I put together this little CD together for her one evening after recording "Dark Orange Fur" on my 12-string.
Unfortunately the drum track got a little off beat towards the end of the song, but such is self-recording.
Track Listing Both of the photos from the CD were taken in New York City over spring break of 1999 (mid-March).
The front cover and inside jacked for "Snow Covered"
The back jacket of "Snow Covered".
Upset Original Written March 1998 Rewritten and Recorded October 1999 Music by Kevin Ludlow Guitars: Kevin Ludlow
Dark Orange Fur Written and Recorded November 1999 Music by Kevin Ludlow 12 String Guitar: Kevin Ludlow Electric Guitar: Kevin Ludlow Keyboards (Echoes): Kevin Ludlow Drums: Kevin Ludlow
Little Kid Written and Recorded October 1999 Music by Kevin Ludlow and Christoph Wagner Acoustic Guitar (Rhythym): Kevin Ludlow Acoustic Guitar (Lead): Christoph Wagner Bass: Kevin Ludlow
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After becoming increasingly disillusioned with what it means to be a film student at the University of Texas, I sat down and wrote this script. I have unfortunately not filmed it.
Script
GUY Where are we?
GUY2 Well to be honest with you, we're just in a patch of woods somewhere in Texas. But you'd probably be better off telling your audience that we’re in some remote county in Maryland. Just for a thrill.
GUY NODS WITH A SMILE.
GUY What are we doing here?
GUY2 LOOKS AT HIS WATCH. HE PUSHES GUY OUT OF THE WAY. A MOMENT LATER A RIFLE DROPS FROM THE SKY ONTO THE GROUND.
GUY2 Right on time.
GUY GETS BUG-EYED
GUY I don’t know about this. I think they told us specifically NOT to use any guns.
GUY2 Yes - they did - didn't they? Hmmmm. Well maybe you should mention to those dumb fucks that filming your dick in a bed of flowers just doesn't sell these days - guns do. And when you're a famous filmmaker, you can stick the lens up your ass and pull out some artsy shit - until then - stand over there.
GUY2 PICKS UP THE GUN. GUYS WALKS OVER NEXT TO A TREE. GUY2 TOSSES HIM A GLASS BEER BOTTLE.
GUY2 Put in on your head.
GUY PLACES THE BOTTLE ON HIS HEAD. AND SMILES.
GUY You sure this is a good idea?
GUY2 Trust me.
GUY2 SHOOTS THE BOTTLE. IT SHATTERS. GUY TAKES A FAKE SIGH OF RELIEF.
THE TWO GUYS ARE WALKING DOWN A ROAD.
GUY2 So ya see guy, people that study film are really nothing but a bunch of pretentious losers that think they can do what ever the fuck they want, whenever they fuck they want to. (beat) Watching a bunch of popular movies, making As on tests, and suckin on teachers cock won't make you any better at filmmaking – ya just have to love doing it – over and over and over.
THE TWO OF THEM WALK IN FRONT OF A CAR THAT IS SPEEDING DOWN THE ROAD. THEY FADE OUT A BIT AND THE CAR DRIVES RIGHT THROUGH THEM.
GUY It's still amazing that we can do shit like this.
GUY2 Yea – tell me about it.
IN THE BACKGROUND A PERSON WALKS INTO THE STREET WHILE A SPEEDING CAR COMES DOWN THE ROAD HONKING IT’S HORN. THE TWO GUYS TURN BACK TO LOOK. THE PERSON GETS HIT BY THE CAR AND SPRAWLS OUT ON THE ROAD. THE GUYS SHAKE THEIR HEADS.
GUY2 What a fucking moron.
GUY Film student?
GUY2 You're a quick learner guy.
THE SCENE FADES.
THE END
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The traditional type of scale allowed for the weighings While living in Manhattan I met a wonderfully brilliant scientist named Colleen Noviello. Besides being my own personal tour guide to the city and even up into New York, she was always interested in challenging me with puzzles and games of strategy (chess for example).
One afternoon she presented me with what she claimed to be one of the most difficult logic puzzles she had ever attempted. Evidently her father had given her this at one point. I honestly can't remember if she ever managed to solve it or not, but I spent the next couple of days playing with it and much to my joy, eventually solving it.
The puzzle and my solution are below.
Puzzle: There are 12 balls. One of them is either heavier or lighter then the other 11. Assume that you have access to a traditional balance scale (one side is weighed against the other). Using only three weighing, determine which ball is off weight AND if it is heavier or lighter than the rest of the balls.
Solution for a 4x4x4 grouping:
Start by numbering the balls 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. Because they can be re-arranged in any order without losing our principle, we can defer to the standard mathematical concept of WLOG (without loss of generality).
Step One
First Possibility: 1 2 3 4 > 5 6 7 8 1,2,3,4 are greater or 5,6,7,8 are lighter (9,10,11,12 are equal)
Second Possibility: 1 2 3 4 < 5 6 7 8 1,2,3,4 are lighter or 5,6,7,8 are heavier (9,10,11,12 are equal)
Third Possibility: 1 2 3 4 = 5 6 7 8 9,10,11,12 are either heavier or lighter (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 are equal)
Step Two of First Possibility
First Possibility: 1 2 5 11 > 3 4 6 12 1,2 are heavier or 6 is lighter
Second Possibility: 1 2 5 11 < 3 4 6 12 5 is lighter or 3,4 are greater
Third Possibility: 1 2 5 11 = 3 4 6 12 7,8 are lighter
Step Two of Second Possibility
First Possibility: 5 6 1 11 > 7 8 2 12 5,6 are greater or 2 is lighter
Second Possibility: 5 6 1 11 < 7 8 2 12 1 is lighter or 7,8 are greater
Third Possibility: 5 6 1 11 = 7 8 2 12 3,4 are lighter
Step Two of Third Possibility
First Possibility: 9 10 1 > 11 2 3 9,10 are greater or 11 is lighter
Second Possibility: 9 10 1 < 11 2 3 9,10 are lighter or 11 is greater
Third Possibility: 9 10 1 = 11 2 3 12 is either lighter or heavier
Step Three of First Possibility of First Possibility
First Possibility: 1 6 > 11 12 1 is the heavier ball
Second Possibility: 1 6 < 11 12 6 is the lighter ball
Third Possibility: 1 6 = 11 12 2 is the heavier ball
Step Three of Second Possibility of First Possibility
First Possibility: 3 5 > 11 12 3 is the heavier ball
Second Possibility: 3 5 < 11 12 5 is the lighter ball
Third Possibility: 3 5 = 11 12 4 is the heavier ball
Step Three of Third Possibility of First Possibility
First Possibility: 7 < 12 7 is the lighter ball
Second Possibility: 7 = 12 8 is the lighter ball
Step Three of First Possibility of Second Possibility
First Possibility: 5 2 > 11 12 5 is the heavier ball
Second Possibility: 5 2 < 11 12 2 is the lighter ball
Third Possibility: 5 2 = 11 12 6 is the heavier ball
Step Three of Second Possibility of Second Possibility
First Possibility: 1 7 > 11 12 7 is the heavier ball
Second Possibility: 1 7 < 11 12 1 is the lighter ball
Third Possibility: 1 7 = 11 12 8 is the heavier ball
Step Three of Third Possibility of Second Possibility
First Possibility: 3 < 12 3 is the lighter ball
Second Possibility: 3 = 12 4 is the lighter ball
Step Three of First Possibility of Third Possibility
First Possibility: 9 11 > 1 2 9 is the heavier ball
Second Possibility: 9 11 < 1 2 11 is the lighter ball
Third Possibility: 9 11 = 1 2 10 is the heavier ball
Step Three of Second Possibility of Third Possibility
First Possibility: 9 11 > 1 2 11 is the heavier ball
Second Possibility: 9 11 < 1 2 9 is the lighter ball
Third Possibility: 9 11 = 1 2 10 is the lighter ball
Step Three of Third Possibility of Third Possibility
First Possibility: 12 > 1 12 is the heavier ball
Second Possibility: 12 < 1 12 is the lighter ball
Solution started on Thursday July 22, 1999 @ approximately 12:00 AM EST
Solution completed on Sunday July 25, 1999 @ 7:44PM EST
Time of solution was approximately 3 days 19 hours and 44 minutes
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